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Advanstar Communications – global leaders of licensing events, including Licensing International Expo and Brand Licensing Europe – is launching Brand Licensing Central & Eastern Europe in 2010. Brand Licensing C&EE will take place at the VAM Design Center in Budapest, Hungary, on 8-9 March 2010. Licensors, Agents and support companies will exhibit, while licensees, retailers, marketers and sales promotion professionals will attend the inaugural event. Over a year in the making, Advanstar has created Brand Licensing C&EE in direct response to demand from the licensing industry for a credible and professional event that paves the way for property owners throughout the world to break into this lucrative emerging market. "The industry has started to look for new markets, new consumers and new opportunities and they have found all three in central and Eastern Europe,” explained event director Jessica Blue. “The region has more than 400 million potential licensing consumers and is currently experiencing an economic growth rate double that of Western Europe. Retailers are becoming more aware of licensing as a potential profit centre and consumers are embracing licensing properties and are keen to purchase associated merchandise.” Advanstar first mooted the idea of Brand Licensing C&EE at Licensing International Expo 2008: “More than 30 companies attended the meeting, all expressing an interest in the event and all of whom we have since maintained an ongoing dialogue with regarding its progress,” added Jessica Blue. Months of research followed this initial meeting and Advanstar found the perfect launch location in Budapest, which is situated at the very heart of the region, and has unrivalled transport links throughout Europe. Advanstar will work closely with LIMA throughout the launch. Brand Licensing C&EE will launch as a turnkey event in 2010 to keep entry costs low for exhibitors. “We are aware that, though a hugely exciting opportunity, this is essentially uncharted waters for many licensing companies and we are keen to help them take advantage of this opportunity with the minimum initial investment. For those companies interested in making a bigger splash, however,we can offer a variety of sponsorship packages,” said Jessica Blue. In addition to the main expo floor, Brand Licensing C&EE will also feature the Licensing Academy and Screening Suite: two of Brand Licensing Europe’s most popular visitor features. Entry to the event will be free for licensees, retailers, marketers and sales promotion professionals. “The licensing industry is crying out for an opportunity to break into central and eastern Europe and start meeting partners and signing business deals. We know this because they tell us on a daily basis. And we hope that, through the launch of Brand Licensing C&EE, which will have the backing of a global event organiser with a proven track record of creating licensing exhibitions that continually deliver, we will be able to play a key part in helping them to achieve these goals,” concluded Jessica Blue. |
